The Million-Dollar Heart (Percival and Vivienne) novel Chapter 547

"Damn it!"

Leopold was floored for a solid half-hour when he saw the personnel appointment circulate with the new appointments.

Just the other day, he was consoling Soren, warning him to watch his back with the new Director sniffing around for scapegoats. And now, it turned out he was the one who would be dancing to the Director's tune!

The joke was on him, and he was the last to know.

Anna clapped Leopold on the shoulder, a look of sympathy in her eyes. "Captain, looks like I'll be counting on you from here on out ."

Soren walked over, tucking the insignia of the third squad into his desk drawer, but his words were for Anna. "Don't jump the gun calling him 'Captain' just yet. We’re all drawing lots again to decide who ends up in which team."

Anna blinked in disbelief. She could not fathom landing in Soren's team in this fifty-fifty toss-up!

The whole organization was reshuffling. Anna pulled her lot. When she saw the number "1" glaring back at her, it felt like the sky was crashing down.

Soren glanced over and patted Anna on the shoulder, "Anna, looks like I'll be counting on you from here on out."

“Counting on my foot! More like a curse!” Anna screamed inside.

She raked her fingers through her hair, her real worry was not about who would be the captain.

It was whether she would still be tasked with her original assignment amid this grand reshuffle at the Vanguard Agency.

As it turned out, Anna's concerns were not unfounded.

"Effective immediately, Squad One is on lockdown. All assignments are on hold, and no one leaves without authorization," Vance announced at the morning briefing.

As a member of Squad One, Anna was naturally confined within the Vanguard Agency, ready for orders.

After the meeting, Percival retreated to his office.

He looked over the new squad arrangements and frowned slightly.

What was Vance plotting with such a grandiose reshuffling within the Vanguard Agency?

Squad One was now under Vance's direct command, supposedly because the Chief Commander, Thomas, was out of town.

Soren and Leopold came in, and Leopold spoke up, "Percival, this reshuffle is one thing, but having Squad One report directly to the Director? Doesn't that seem off to you?"

Percival leaned back. "Has the Director sought you out yet?"

"No, why would he? To apologize?" Leopold grumbled.

Being stripped of authority so abruptly would sit well with no one.

He never cared about power. In fact, he only entered the Vanguard Agency to follow Percival. However, there was no way he would not be frustrated from being targeted.

It was no secret that Leopold was Percival's man, and the Sterling and the Ellington families had been allies for generations. This seemed like a blatant attempt to undermine Percival, maybe even to sideline him.

"Wait till he does. You'll find out soon enough," Percival said, offering no further explanation.

Vance had mentioned a secret mission for Leopold the day before. Without the details, Percival could say no more.

Soren could not contain himself either. "With Squad One answering directly to the Director, isn't that a power grab? When the special squad was formed, it was under the Chief's sole command. Since when does the Director get to butt in?"

Everyone saw Vance's agenda: to dilute Percival's power and render him a figurehead.

If this was day one, what would the future hold?

They were discussing this when Percival's office phone rang with the distinct ringtone of the Director's office.

Percival gestured for silence and picked up the receiver.